New Jersey Car Insurance

Drivers in Newark and surrounding areas pay New Jersey's highest car insurance rates, nearly double those paid elsewhere in the state. You can see a sample of state car insurance rates from six national insurance carriers for every ZIP code in New Jersey mapped out below.

New Jersey Car Insurance Quotes

What you need to know about car insurance in New Jersey

New Jersey Car Insurance Laws

New Jersey car owners have a choice between two types of auto insurance policies: basic or standard.

The basic policy meets only the minimums needed to drive legally in the Garden State. It consists of:

Property damage liability of $5,000,

Personal injury protection (PIP) of $15,000 per person, per accident

The basic policy covers your own injuries and a small amount of damage to other cars you hit, which makes it suitable only for those who have little savings or few other assets. There is an option to add $10,000 in bodily injury liability, but uninsured motorist coverage is not available. Your right to sue for pain and suffering is limited to severe or permanent injuries.

For most drivers, we recommended New Jersey's standard policy, which includes:

Bodily injury liability of at least $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident. If you have substantial savings, a home or a business, you should raise those limits even higher.

Property damage liability of at least $5,000. This can be raised, and should be.

PIP of $15,000 per person or accident; this can be raised as high as $250,000.

Holders of a standard policy can choose between the limited right to sue and the unlimited right to sue. The unlimited option means you retain the right to sue for pain and suffering over any injury.

With both the basic and standard New Jersey car insurance policy, your medical bills and lost wages are paid up to your limits by your PIP coverage and then by any bodily injury liability claim or lawsuit brought against the at-fault driver.

Regardless of the limit you have chosen, PIP will pay up to $250,000 for certain severe injuries such as damage to the spinal cord or brain.

Collision and comprehensive, which protect your own vehicle, can be added to either a basic or standard policy.

Eligibility points: Auto insurance companies assign motorists eligibility points for traffic violations, at-fault accidents and suspensions. Also, newly licensed drivers, regardless of age, are assigned three "inexperience" eligibility points. For each year of experience the driver gets, one point is removed. To be considered for the voluntary insurance market in New Jersey, you need to accumulate fewer than seven insurance eligibility points in the preceding three years.

Uninsured motorist penalties for New Jersey: You may have to pay $300 to $1,000 in fines, have your license suspended and be required to do community service.

Age restrictions: In New Jersey you must be at least 17 to register and title a vehicle in your name. There is not a minimum age requirement for obtaining auto insurance if you have your license or permit, but minors will normally need a parent or guardian to sign any insurance paperwork since it is a legal binding document.

DUI's effect on insurance rates in New Jersey: How long a DUI affects your insurance rate depends on your company, but companies typically consider offenses for 3 to 7 years.

Largest car insurance companies in New Jersey by market share

Rank

Company / Group

Direct Premiums Written ($)

Market share (%)

1

Berkshire Hathaway Insurance

1,117,442

16.37

2

Allstate Insurance Group

939,226

13.76

3

NJM Insurance Group

926,316

13.57

4

Progressive Insurance Group

622,806

9.13

5

State Farm Group

595,864

8.73

6

Palisades Group

539,052

7.90

7

Liberty Mutual Insurance Companies

524,584

7.69

8

USAA Group

233,209

3.42

9

Travelers Group

228,815

3.35

10

Farmers Insurance Group

194,420

2.85

Source: A.M. Best market share rankings are based on direct premiums written in 2013.